RAPS is short for Richmond Animal Protection Society, a registered charity and operator of a sanctuary which houses and cares for nearly 500 homeless or abandoned cats in Richmond, BC, Canada. The Neko Files is a celebration of the sanctuary and all those who live and work there.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Cathy

I came across Cathy many times on the back porch of the doublewide many times without knowing who she was. I'd be visiting with another cat like Harley or Audrey by the steps leading up to the raised area to the right of the door, and there would be this cat sitting up there on a cushion, staring at me suspiciously. Any movement in the cat's direction would be greeted with the look of abject horror so common in ferals. And so I let it alone.

When I heard her story from Leslie, however, I was inspired to put in a bit more time trying to make friends.

Cathy has been at the shelter for years. She was never comfortable with people, but she did have her cat friends to keep her company. She had her boyfriend Heathcliff and was also pals with a cat named Toffee. Unfortunately, both Heathcliff and Toffee have now passed away, and so Cathy, still not really comfortable with humans, doesn't really have any friends.

According to Leslie, Cathy will occasionally let people get close enough to sneak in a pat. So far with me, she's still pretty much about the staring and the fleeing if I try to make contact. Sitting nearby seems to be almost acceptable, though. Maybe that's a start. She sounds like a cat who could really use a human friend or two.

3 comments:

She is a funny cat. I know what you mean about the suspicious eyes. When I go there to scoop, I never talk to her or make sudden moves cuz I know she's very skittish. And so she watches my every move and will sometimes even follow me from box to box.